Coming up with an idea for a business or creative project can feel exhilarating. Inspiration for a new idea can come from so many places and we’ve asked some great folks from the community to share their stories of how they came up with their ideas.

Dave Wies

Dave: We kept working for other people and trying to make their dreams into reality. And along the way watched a lot of people’s dreams succeed or fail. All the while watching the details and trying to figure out how we would do it differently. As time went on, we started to put together a business plan that was picked up and put aside for years, but the timing was always wrong. Then the timing started to work, we had other people that wanted to join us, and we started looking at places. And with different places the business changed – first it was a brewery, then an event space, and then finally a cocktail bar. We wanted a place like the cocktail bars we liked in other cities. Read more>>

Robert Galicia

After using our personal buses to take a few friends out for Tacos, I remised on the enjoyment of the evening. It wasn’t the first time we’ve eaten tacos nor was it the first time on the party bus. What stood out was the constant engagement. The ability to laugh, dance thrown in with some food stops was great. Discussing the taco we just ate and debating on which salsa was the best was engaging. I thought to myself if we had this much fun, would others? Read more>>

Joe & Mona Elliott

The idea for Wild Roots was born in the middle of covid. For years, our house had always been the hub of activity with family and friends. Creating environments where people felt at home, could connect and develop deeper relationships had always been part of our passion. When our oldest daughter, 19 at the time, got engaged during this period, we listened as she envisioned a wedding that was more of a fun gathering with all her favorites. Read more>>

Jon Pratt

I stumbled upon DJing through my love of music and the process of being creative. I grew up in a home where music was played every day as we went about our daily routines (meal time, playing, showering, homework). Music became an integral part of my life from an early age. Whenever we travelled by car, long distance or just around the corner, we listened to music which included many classics from artists like Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, and Michael Jackson. I can remember myself at the early ages of 5 and 6, emulating Michael Jackson and putting on performances for my family. I can also remember my joy of dancing and my love for the energy that music provided. As I grew older, I collected CDs and tapes later explored the digital routes with Napster and other online platforms. I just wanted it all! Read more>>

Madysen Coates

The idea for GraySpace Wellness actually came to me in one of those new-mom moments. I was driving with my one-week-old son in the backseat, and as I passed by a country club, I thought “why isn’t there a place like this, but for enlightenment?”. A space that feels luxurious in spirit, but is inclusive, healing, and free. At the same time, I kept thinking about my grandmother, who was a Black Panther. Her legacy taught me that community care and liberation have to go hand in hand. So I wanted to blend those two ideas; her revolutionary spirit with a holistic, modern aesthetic. That’s what sparked my philanthropic journey: the realization that we deserve spaces where wellness, empowerment, and future generations can grow together. Read more>>

Cerelle Centeno

I have always loved vintage, fashion, trends and style, though as a career I spent decades in the digital and tech arena. When I got diagnosed with breast cancer, everything in my life shifted. I realized it was time to slow down and focus on areas where I think I can make a difference. It’s no news to anyone who’s paying attention that climate change is affecting our planet, but what might be news to some is that as a culture, humans have already produced enough apparel to clothe every human on this planet for roughly the next six years. Miles of clothing and textile waste is cluttering once pristine land, for example in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Why not try to carve out a business and a community that focuses on reusing what we already have in abundance? Read more>>

Jie Douchet

he idea for Postbot didn’t start in a lab or on a whiteboard.
It started in 2018, in my dad’s garage.

Back then, we were meeting with small business owners who connected with Chamber of Commerce for resources, like realtors, clinic managers, spa owners, contractors, just trying to understand their day-to-day pain points. We weren’t even thinking about AI yet. We just wanted to listen. Read more>>

Kathy Long

When my daughter was in 9th grade we had to admit her to a residential program for her eating disorder and other mental health challenges. After several years, during her time in an outpatient program, she told her story at a high school . The following year the school requested her specifically to return to share her story again. At the end of that talk, she was told by a young person that they were in a bad place the previous year and were contemplating suicide but her story influenced them to reach out for help. Her story saved a life and she was incredibly happy about that. Read more>>

Christie George

I’m still working out which part of my creative life is a business and which part is a practice, but in both cases it feels like things really began in the summer of 2020. When the pandemic started, I had just left my job of 10 years running a small investment fund focused on media and political technology. I was taking a six-month sabbatical and planning to return to similar work. But I had time and space partly because of the pandemic and partly because of a fellowship that allowed me to do some writing and to explore ideas I hadn’t been able to when I was running an organization full time. I found myself returning to a book I had read the year before – Jenny Odell’s “How to Do Nothing” – and I was amazed at how relevant it was both to the pandemic and to my new life in the country (my family and I had moved out of Oakland to a small, rural town in northern California). Read more>>

Kristi O’Rorke

CHICCRETE was born in 2022 out of pain and brokenhearts. We bought our dream home sight unseen and had a made for TV reveal, only to weeks later be left with a mess of a basement with water pouring in our home on Mothers day weekend. Once the dust settled, we needed to creatively an cost effectively fix what was handed to us broken. CHICCRETE was born in the pain and we turned that into purpose. We have become masters at turning lemons to lemonade in life and we are proud to take a very negative time in our lives and turn it into a business. Read more>>

Brittanie Shue

I started this journey to satisfy a personal need. I had suffered for most of my life with allergies and was highly sensitive to most ingredients. As my allergies worsened over the years, it had grown to a point where I realized that even my medical providers were unable to help. In fact, the things they suggested only made matters worse. My allergies were to the point that I was suffering from severe skin reactions and an agitated immune system. I felt hopeless. As someone in the medical field, I was surprised that it had failed me. At this point in my life I was on 4-5 different allergy medications, including an asthmatic inhaler. Read more>>

Isabelle Malebranche

I’ve worked as a bartender at this time for about 8 years. Coming from a corporate background I sometimes felt like I was going backwards but I went all in. I’ve always worked within the service industry because I am a people person. I love building relationships with people while they break bread with their friends, family and colleagues. I thrive for giving others a memorable experience. It’s my jam.  Read more>>

Vinita Agrawal

I wanted to be a writer. The evidence was everywhere: in the journal I had been writing in since teenage, the half-finished short story on my laptop, the blog idea I’d talked about for years but never started. I felt a disconnect, a sense that the part of me that was most me—the observer, the wordsmith, the storyteller—would being systematically silenced by the daily grind. Read more>>

Jacki Schaefer

I’d been working as a family photographer when my business started shifting more toward portraiture and headshots. As I photographed more individuals, I became very interested in their stories and how they wished to be perceived through these images. I was drawn to artists who have such rich stories to tell: of who they are and also what they create. Today, artists are in a unique position of needing to successfully tell both of those stories in order to reach patrons and sell their art. Social media requires immense time and energy, and that often takes away from their creative time. By creating images they need- headshots, documentary photography, and finished or exhibition work, I am able to take some of the strain off artists so they can focus on doing what deeply matters to them. Read more>>

Meredith Collvins

The idea for Party Favor really came from our own lives. For years, I poured my heart into planning my kids’ birthdays and hosting gatherings for friends. What started as something I did out of love—staying up late to decorate, brainstorming fun themes, and finding ways to make each event unforgettable—slowly grew into something bigger. Over time, friends and family began to notice the energy, joy, and creativity I put into every detail. They encouraged me, telling me over and over that this wasn’t just a hobby, it was a gift. Read more>>

Yanil

I always say Sacred Scents44 was born out of both necessity and love. At the time, I was going through a deeply personal journey of healing. Life had given me seasons of grief, transition, and rediscovery, and I was searching for ways to ground myself to create a sanctuary in the middle of chaos. Read more>>

Rich Wilson, Brandon Kishbaugh

I have always been a music lover, I dreamt about meeting my favorite artists, going on tour, and making my own music, only problem was, living in small town Pennsylvania, there weren’t many opportunities, and I couldn’t play an instrument. needless to say, i gave up on the dream but not the passion. deep down, i knew there was a place for me in music, I just never thought it would be in Reggae! in 2011 my friend had gotten us tickets for the Sublime With Rome and 311 show in virginia, that’s the day Reggae saved my life! at that time in my life I was going through my own personal hell and was struggling just to make it to the next day. Read more>>

Nancy

When I first started growing on the tower garden, I never planned to sell to others—it was simply something I enjoyed. But after sharing what I was doing with a friend, he encouraged me to attend his networking meeting. The members were fascinated by the towers and eager to learn more. As I continued to grow and learn, I naturally began sharing tips, nutrition facts, and the benefits of growing more nutritious produce at home. Before I knew it, I was selling towers regularly and helping others discover the importance of healthy eating. Read more>>

Allison Gonzalez

The idea for my yoga studio, YUJ, took shape shortly after the lock down of a global pandemic. With many individuals facing isolation and mental health issues on the rise, it became evident that there was a strong need for in-person connection, support, and community. As a dedicated yoga teacher, I began teaming up with local business owners to organize community events in rented spaces. It was a wonderful way to reunite people, but as I encountered challenges in securing venues, a lightbulb went off: why not create my own studio? Read more>>

Holli Leslie

I grew up playing piano at a young age and music has always been at the core of who I am. I once thought I wanted to become a doctor, but ultimately realized that music was the bridge between creativity, science, and psychology that I had been searching for. Discovering Music Therapy as a field of study was a pivotal moment for me because it gave me a way to combine my love of music with my passion for healing and empowering others. Read more>>

Daniela Reyes

Before I started my business, I was working in bakeries, soaking up as much knowledge as I could. I wanted to understand the craft from the inside out , how things ran, how to work under pressure, how to decorate cakes and make pastries at a professional level. Over time, as I got more confident doing tasks on my own , like decorating wedding cakes or creating pastries for events at the club I worked at , I began to think, I can do this myself. That confidence didn’t come overnight, but it grew with each cake I made and each challenge I took on. Read more>>

CW Wren

The main character, Emer, was specifically born from the desire for people to feel seen and empowered.

Often those with anxiety are painted as fragile and incapable, their anxiety is framed as a weakness.
However, anxiety can present as hyper-independence, perfectionism, and over-achievement. When it is in these forms, it’s praised, but the deep-rooted anxiety that drives it remains hidden. Read more>>

Amy Johnson

In June 2020, a Brewery opened downtown in my small hometown of New Kensington. My hometown has faced significant economic challenges in recent decades, mostly due to the decline of its once industrial base. Hence, amid the Covid Pandemic, as well as the excitement of a new business of any type opening in the “ghost town” downtown, my family and I gleefully went down to support the new Brewery’s efforts. As I was sitting & relaxing in the Brewery’s outdoor Beer Garden, I was looking at all the dark & empty storefronts and remembering as a little girl, these same streets & sidewalks filled with shoppers, energy, and life. Read more>>